Cotati Police: Suspect In String Of Auto Burglaries Nabbed After Long Investigation

SONOMA COUNTY, CA -- After a months-long investigation, police in Cotati said Monday that they've arrested a man on suspicion of multiple vehicle burglaries.

For several months, police have been investigating vehicle burglaries in which car windows were smashed.

According to police, investigators found surveillance video from the Home Depot store located at 4825 Redwood Dr. in Rohnert Park that showed a suspect using a stolen credit card belonging to an auto burglary victim.

The video also captured the license plates of the suspect's vehicle, a white Toyota Camry registered to 34-year-old transient David Lee McConnell.

Police learned that State Parks rangers also investigated similar auto burglaries in their jurisdiction that were connected to McConnell.

On Sunday, another parked vehicle was broken into at St. Joseph's Church located at 150 St. Joseph Way in Cotati.

Police then obtained video surveillance footage of McConnell using a credit card stolen from the vehicle at the Lowe's store located at 7921 Redwood Dr.

At about 4 p.m. Monday, officers spotted a white Toyota Camry in the parking lot of the Energy Health Club located at 680 E. Cotati Ave.

McConnell was inside the vehicle and appeared to be watching cars.

When police made contact with McConnell, they found him with a tool used to break into vehicles.

McConnell was arrested on suspicion of numerous drug and theft-related offenses and was booked into Sonoma County Jail. He is being held on $100,000 bail.

Anyone with information about the case is asked to call Officer Brandon Mitchell at (707) 792-4611.

Bay City News contributed to this report/Image via Shutterstock